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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rest — what's left
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fall — to drop
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rest — what's left
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com